This invention relates to mechanisms for drawers contained in cabinets or the like, and more particularly relates to an improved mechanism for the interlock of a drawer with a removable and adjustable drawer slide.
Although drawer slides and mechanisms for connecting drawers to such slides are commonplace, the most frequent structures used in the industry for such drawers and slides are relatively complex. In almost all instances, cabinets or other furniture adapted to carry drawer are designed for a single number of drawers to be contained in the cabinet, and can not be modified to carry variable numbers of drawers of variable sizes placed in variable positions.
Various prior art structures have been created that allow drawer slides to be retained in multiple positions. For example Ames, U.S. Pat. No. 700,721 issued May 27, 1902 for a "Refrigerator Case" discloses a support shelf that is movable to a variety of different positions in a refrigerator case. Rock, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,753 issued May 23, 1978 for a "Fastening Device", discloses a slide support device for an adjustable front panel of pull-out furniture parts, such drawers. Rock is designed to cooperate with the conventional roller type drawer slide mechanism. Ohnstrand, U.S. Pat. No. 1,247,712 issued Nov. 27, 1917 for "Furniture" discloses a construction for furniture such as a desk where drawer slides are removable and cooperate with various slots in a sheet metal cabinet.
Each of the above patents addresses the need for adjustable drawer slide mechanisms, and to some extent address the desire for simplicity of drawer slide mechanisms. However, in each instance the various mechanisms, while effective in providing useful drawer mechanisms, lack either the desired simplicity or the complete flexibility appropriate for an interchangeable drawer slide mechanism.